Fisherman gets 215 days for commercial crab violations, other offenses

A Southeast commercial fisherman was sentenced to 215 days in prison for a combination of offenses, including wildlife violations committed between 2007 and 2011.

Alaska Wildlife Troopers said in a dispatch that James Royal Seymour, 36, of Southeast Alaska, was sentenced in Juneau District Court last Thursday for eight separate cases.

Troopers said some of the offenses included commercial crab violations in Hoonah, Petersburg and Juneau, such as illegal storage of crab pots.

Seymour was also charged with contempt of court, failure to appear and violating conditions of release as a result of failing to attend multiple court hearings, troopers said.

Court records show Judge Keith Levy imposed 170 days with 160 days suspended for illegal storage of crab pots; 60 days with no time suspended for failure to appear; 210 days with 195 days suspended for contempt of court; and 90 days with no time suspended for another charge of contempt of court.

Levy revoked Seymour’s probation in two previous cases and imposed suspended jail time: 30 days with no time suspended for a previous 2008 drunken driving conviction, and 10 days with zero suspended for a previous 2010 driving with license cancelled, suspended or revoked conviction.

The violating conditions of release charge was dismissed by prosecutors.

Troopers said Seymour was wanted on several outstanding warrants when an off-duty Wildlife Trooper located him at a swimming pool in Ketchikan in May. He was arrested by Ketchikan city police officers, and has since been held at the Ketchikan Correctional Center.